South Loop in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Ferd Kramer Memorial Garden

good for our neighborhood and the environment.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 28, 2025

1. Ferd Kramer Memorial Garden Marker

Inscription.
who was Ferd Kramer?
An urban real estate pioneer, Ferd Kramer was an original developer of Dearborn Park and the South Loop. Convinced that people of all kinds could live a good life in the South Loop, Ferd's vision went beyond the empty lots and abandoned railyards of the time. His persistence and determination in the development of Dearborn Park sparked the revitalization of the South Loop.

Erected 2011 by Center for Neighborhood Technology.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas.

Location. 41° 52.329′ N, 87° 37.777′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in South Loop. It is at the intersection of Polk Street and Federal Street, on the right when traveling east on Polk Street. The sign is in front of the garden, which is immediately west of Dearborn Station. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 47 West Polk Street, Chicago IL 60605, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Ferd Kramer (within shouting distance of this marker); Rowe Building (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Donohue Building (about 400 feet away); Harold Brignadello

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(approx. 0.2 miles away); The Morton Building / Hotel Blake (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fairbanks Morse & Company Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); The 19th Amendment (approx. ¼ mile away); Brunswick Corporation Headquarters (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

Also see . . . Ferd Kramer obituary. From the University of Chicago Chronicle

Excerpt: "As head of the real estate firm Draper & Kramer Inc., Kramer demonstrated a consistent commitment to economic and racial integration and earned a national reputation for the development of nondiscriminatory, middle-income housing, including the Prairie Shores, Lake Meadows and Dearborn Park communities in Chicago. He also was instrumental in the stabilization of the Kenwood/Oakland community on Chicago’s South Side. Kramer had a leadership role in virtually every major urban renewal project in Chicago during the past 50 years."

(Submitted on February 28, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Ferd Kramer Memorial Garden image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 28, 2025

2. Ferd Kramer Memorial Garden

Ferd Kramer Memorial Garden Marker and Dearborn Station image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 28, 2025

3. Ferd Kramer Memorial Garden Marker and Dearborn Station

Credits. This page was last revised on February 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 28, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 119 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 28, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.